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Devils 2017: A position-by-position analysis

The Devils open their 2017-18 season against the Avalanche on Saturday at Prudential Center looking to climb in the standings after finishing last in the Eastern Conference last season as they missed the playof

Devils 2017: A position-by-position analysis

Devils coach John Hynes explains why the team chose to keep 13 forwards and eight defensemen on its initial roster.
Andrew Gross/NorthJersey.com

New Jersey Devils defenseman Will Butcher (8) takes a shot during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)(Photo: Mel Evans, AP)

The Devils open their 2017-18 season against the Avalanche on Saturday at Prudential Center looking to climb in the standings after finishing last in the Eastern Conference last season as they missed the playoffs for the fifth straight year.

An influx of newcomers, including No. 1 overall pick Nico Hischier, young defensemen Will Butcher and Mirco Mueller and veteran top-six forwards Marcus Johansson and Drew Stafford, helped the Devils look faster and improved in the preseason as they went 5-1-1.

Here’s a position by position breakdown:

Forwards

Perhaps the biggest sign that the Devils have improved their depth – even with No. 1 center Travis Zajac out possibly until February after surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle and free agent veteran center Brian Boyle sidelined for now after being diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia – is that veteran Adam Henrique will start the season centering the third line. Hischier played his way into a top-six role with a strong training camp and second-year pro Pavel Zacha, 20, will start the season centering Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri on the top line. Hall and Palmieri tied for the team lead in points with 53 last season but more is expected from both. Marcus Johansson, acquired from the salary cap-strapped Capitals and whose 58 points would have led the Devils, and veteran free agent Drew Stafford round out the top six. The new scoring threats should help boost the Devils’ production, which bottomed out with a conference-low 183 goals last season.

Undoubtedly considered the team’s weak link entering the offseason, general manager Ray Shero, unable to sign free agent Kevin Shattenkirk, has tried to upgrade by acquiring Mueller from the Sharks and signing fellow 22-year-old Butcher, the Hobey Baker Award winner, as a college free agent. Damon Severson, 23, signed a six-year, $25 million deal after notching a career-high 28 assists but finishing a minus-31 and will likely be paired with captain Andy Greene. Steven Santini, 22, also made the Devils out of training camp and the first veteran to be squeezed out of the top six might be Ben Lovejoy. The Devils’ mantra is to play fast with quick, smart decisions coming from the defensemen in starting the team in transition.

Goaltending

Cory Schneider, entering his fourth season as the Devils’ undisputed No. 1, is coming off his worst season in New Jersey as he went 20-27-11 with a 2.82 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage as he allowed four or more goals in 17 of his 60 appearances. Too often last season Schneider looked technically adrift, struggling to stay in position and control his rebounds. It’s a chicken-or-the-egg question whether Schneider’s issues came from trying to overcompensate for a porous defense or the Devils’ defensive struggles were the result of trying to make up for Schneider. Still, at 31, it’s not as if Schneider is past his prime and he was an All-Star in 2015-16. Backup Keith Kinkaid, 28, showed marked improvement in both his technique and mentality in his third NHL season, going 8-13-3 with a 2.64 GAA and a .916 save percentage.

Special Teams

One of the reasons the Devils struggled so mightily to score goals last season was their disappointing power play, which fell to 22nd in the NHL with 44 goals in 251 chances (17.5 percent) – and a league-worst 12 shorthanded goals allowed – after ranking ninth in 2015-16. The additions of Johansson, who played on the potent Capitals’ power play with Alex Ovechkin, and Butcher at the point should help matters. The penalty kill also needs improving after ranking 23rd last season with 53 goals allowed in 260 chances (79.6 percent) and losing Zajac for such a long period doesn’t help. Boyle, when healthy enough to return, will.

Coaching

John Hynes enters his third season behind the Devils bench – and as an NHL coach – with Shero’s absolute backing, meaning he’s being evaluated on the progress the players make as much as the team’s won-lost record. The players enjoy playing in Hynes’ up-tempo system and he never lost control of the dressing room last season despite a 3-17-4 finish, which included just one regulation win. The lone change to the coaching staff came when Roland Melanson replaced Chris Terreri as the goalie coach. It could be a significant move as Melanson worked with Schneider previously in Vancouver.